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Northeast Airlines Yellowbirds

Northeast Yellowbirds were a common site in the New England skies in the late 1960s. Here are some photos taken by my father, a Northeast Airlines pilot, by me, and from sources I have found online. Northeast Airlines was a Boston-based carrier that merged with Delta in 1972. My father (also Dave Goodwin) started out as a DC-6B flight engineer at Northeast in 1966 after flying Twin Otters at Executive Airlines and working as a freight dog and CFI before that. The DC-6s were replaced later that year by 727s, DC-9s, FH-227s wearing the yellowbird scheme.

Miami International 1969 (above and directly below) – Dad takes 11-year-old me along to simulator training in Miami. I remember there was a U-2 parked in the hangar there, no doubt used to keep an eye on our neighbor to the south. The jet on the right is a short 727-100 identifiable by the oval shape of the center engine intake.

This was the original Yellowbird paint job, which accumulated Jet-A soot around the engines making for dirty tail feathers. Below is a solo shot of the right hand airplane above. Technically it’s a 727-095, with 095 being Boeing’s designation for the Northeast flavor of 727. The concept of a fence surrounding an airport had not yet arrived in 1969.

Moving on to Boston Logan, below, we have another short 727 being prepped for departure. Note the baggage handler in the rear hold and the people on the observation area above the airplane. Northeast operated out of Terminal C, now home to JetBlue.

A nice looking paint job even today, this later Yellowbird version has bare engines and rudder to counter the soot problem noted above and a black radome.

Next we have a DC-9 taxing to runway 35 for takeoff at Manchester, NH (MHT) while my sister and I do what kids do; the copilot waived back. The photo below was taken by our father, who was checking on the family plane behind us.

Here’s the family plane, a 1943 Harvard, more commonly known as a T-6, still sporting Dutch Air Force insignia on the wings. The T-6 would undergo a few years of meticulous restoration before taking to the sky again. This airplane was acquired from a fellow Northeast pilot named Geert Frank, who brought a group of three of them to the US (via ship). Frank also brought a German Fieseler Storch to the U.S., which I recall seeing parked at Stead Aviation in Manchester at one point. The shot below was taken at Boire Field, Nashua, NH, early 70s.

In August of 1972 Northeast Airlines was merged into Delta and the iconic Yellowbird was no more. Below is a photo of some former Yellowbirds at Logan airport sporting the also-iconic Delta widget. Interestingly, Northeast Airlines and the Yellowbird branding are not owned by Delta. Volare Air Group in Indiana owns the name and seems to be planning a Northeast Yellowbird comeback (as of this writing).

And how the Northeast Airlines ramp at Boston Logan looked just a few years earlier (photo courtesy of Gary Schenauer).

Gary also filmed some Yellowbirds and contemporaries at Boston Logan in 1967 on his Super 8 camera.

This next video features a couple of Yellowbirds amidst a truly fantastic collection of 1960s airliners. A Northeast DC-9 taxis to a rolling take off at 0:28 and a 727 lifts off at 2:45.

FH-227s flew between small New England cities and Boston and New York, replacing DC-3s and DC-6s. Below are a pair of them at Montpelier, VT (MVP). Walt Houghton, former station manager there (and BTV and FLL) contributed the photo and described the scene.

It was taken by Norm MacIver, VT Development Dept. I had been flying him in the state airplane and as we returned to MPV these were both parked there. I told Norm ,”Take the picture!” Looks like a busy day at the airport, but in fact I think one of them was broken!

Northeast FH-227 at MPV. Photo Walt Houghton

In addition to these aircraft types, the yellowbird livery was also used on Northeast’s Convair 880s and its one CV-990. Below, the 990 sits at Boston Logan. Northeast Airlines was one of the few to simultaneously operate both the CV-990 and the CV-880. This was the sole Convair 990, N5612, leased from American.

Photo courtesy Gary Schenauer

And the same 990 being pushed off the gate in Miami. Notice the Piper Apache twin engine private plane parked next to the 990, left of the cockpit. You won’t see that in our modern era.

Photos: Collection M.Winter

The photo below showcases the differences between the CV-990 and a CV-880. The most obvious being the blisters on the wing of the 990 and the larger, differently shaped engine nacelles. The CV-990 was longer too as you can see by the addition windows under the “N” in Northeast.

Photos: Collection M.Winter

Below are two DC-9s at Boston Logan Airport in 1967. This photo really showcases the yellowbird livery and if you are a pilot you’ll notice the absence of more than a few taxiway signs compared with today. Note the Expo 67 decal under the first window of the closest airplane. Steve Cassie elaborates on this airplane in the comments below and 48 years after delivery to NEA it is miraculously still flying as N8860 (in 2015.) After flying for Northeast and Delta, the plane on the left flew until it was retired in late 1998 for a total of 31 years in service.

Northeast’s route system expanded quite a bit in the late 60s, covering the major northeast and sun markets as well as a Miami – Los Angeles daily non-stop operated by a 727-100. Stronger than usual prevailing winds would frequently necessitate a fuel stop on the westbound trip. In contrast, National Airlines, the other carrier on that route, flew a DC-8. You can see the entire 1969 timetable at 60sairlineantiques.net, along with many high quality, classic airliner photos form the 1960s.

Thanks to Arnelle Meyer for the Yellowbird boarding card. She used Northeast to commuted to work at Overseas National Airways.

Before the yellowbird era Northeast used a red livery. He is a CV-880 landing at Philadelphia in 1960. Northeast leased the 880s from TWA/Hughes Tool Company for use between the northeast and Florida. Courtesy SSAVE via Flickr.

The CV-880 rolling out after touchdown.

I’m always interested in adding NEA photos and stories here. Please contact me if you photos you would like to share whether from the Yellowbird era or before.

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69 thoughts on “Northeast Airlines Yellowbirds”

My Dad worked the ramp in PHL for NE. I was only 7 years old when NE was acquired by Delta, but I know Dad was always more NE than Delta, even when he retired after 30+ years of service (his hire date was 1969).

I remember I was unable to seek employment with Delta due to the nepotism rules. Ironically, I was a an aircraft technician for Northwest Airlines from 1989-2006. I parted ways after the 2006 technician strike, so I never made it to Delta anyway.

Dad has since passed away, but he has some old NE aircraft photos somewhere. If I find the photos, how can I get them uploaded to your website?

Dave: I remember your father well. Not sure if he is still alive, but I am thinking back to those days
At Northeast Airlines. I worked up until Jan. 1, 2002 with what is now Delta AirLines. Thanks so much for bringing back old memories and especially the photo of the four of us up in Presque Isle, Maine back in

1966. It just jumped out at me on my I pad and brought back so many fond memories. I have some Yellowbird memorabilia here and will send it on to you..

Hi Dave,
I used to give your Dad Synthetic Trainer time and ground school in the early 60s and I went to NE when Grenier Field announced its closure. I didn’t like my choices, so I went to NE Feb.’66 as a Synthetic Training Instructor, on the line Jan.’67, retired ’85. I flew F/O on FH 227/F/O and Capt. on DC-9, then Capt. on B-727 Boston and spent 6 months in Chicago. Retired to Hampstead.
I miss your Dad…We were good friends. I hope Sue is fine. Good to see your name.

Womderful info about the old Yellowbirds, started as a radio mechanic in 1961, remember swinging my compass outside of the old hanger, a far cry from today . There are still Yellowbird Groups in most of the major cities. We in the radio shop worked on all of those aircraft and still remember moose mountain, we had to work with the NTSB to determine the cause of the crash, a design flaw in the VOR.

Hi I’m Michael Silva and my Aunt Maryanne Amero asked me to build a 727 in the Yellowbird colors. She started as a stewardess on New England Airlines and will be retiring from Delta this coming year after 50 yrs as a Stewardess. if you have more pics of the 727 yellowbird it will really help in painting my 727 model. thanks

Hi Dave, great site! I’m still trying to find some NE employee that took a picture of the service at Newport, VT (KEFK) and/or any information about that service. Its been over 2 years since I put a comment out there, so I am trying again. Thanks for this wonderful site!

My dad, Fred Wight, was with Northeast from 1941-1967, first as maintenance crew chief at Logan, then moving to maintenance director in Miami. I remember he would sometimes bring me to the Miami hangar on Saturdays and let me watch the mechanics at work. Fascinating stuff for a young kid. Dad passed away recently and he told me he always enjoyed his days at Northeast. Great site – brings back lots of great memories of Dad.

What good memories.
I was a Stewardess from 1960 to 1962. I was based in Boston for a while and Miami for a while until, I held New York as my base.
I flew on the DC3, Viscount, DC6 and 880 jets.
Northeast was a family then.

Was feeling nostalgic and looked up Northeast Airlines. My dad was Asst. Treasurer for them from ~1968 – 1971. Unfortunately he took ill with leukemia and was in the hospital during the merge with Delta and he didn’t make it.

We flew a lot on Yellowbirds during his time there and I had a model 727-200 from his desk in my room growing up.

My dad was Bob Lombardo was a mechanic in Philly with Northeast from sometime in the 60’s and with Delta until around 1993 when he was “urged” to retire, then went back to work through I think (Penske?) as a contractor still working on the planes and then just doing light maintenance around the airport as he got older.

I remember being in the cockpit before a flight and the captain asking me if I wanted to fly it!

On one of his birthdays after he was retired I got him a small die cast 727 Yellowbird, I thought he was going to cry!

Northeast would offer quick flights around BOS once a year, , asking only a small amount that went to the Jimmy Fund . It was a great fundraiser, and was very popular.
NE employees, including flight crews, would donate their time, and the fuel was also donated by the fuel companies.

I remember being on the tarmac outside the Prescott Street hangar in the early morning, when the first B727-200 was delivered. I was in awe at its beauty.
Spent the next many years working for other carriers, but my time with NE was by far the most memorable.

Northeast was the first plane I was ever on. My family moved from Flushing, NY to Watertown, Mass on Nov. 23, 1967.
We flew out of LaGuardia and up to Logan in Boston. It was also the date of the first blizzard of the year! Welcome to New England.

When METV was running adam-12, there was an episode I believe named Airport Sub-station, was pre-merger and indeed showed the NE signage along with EAL at the TWA terminal. I actually bought the dvd’s off ebay and filmed some of it with my phone to send out.

Does anyone remember Claire McHugh (Flight Attendant Boston) in the 1960’s? She has since passed away but I am trying to find some people that knew her ‘back in the day’ and as a longshot if anyone had any photos of her that they would be willing to share.

Hi Dave, My name is Nancee Trenholm Peters. My dad was hired at Northeast in 1957 to fly the DC-3s. He flew for them til he hit 60. His name is H. Lee Trenholm and he retired from Delta flying the 767. I worked for Northeast in revenue accounting summers while in college and upon graduation went to work for Air New England as a Crew Scheduler. Your pictures bring back my childhood, thank-you so much!!!!!!

I notice the sons and others of former Northeast airlines employees come here to find their past. I do the same. I have visited the crash site of the Fairchild that piled in on the app trail over by Dartmouth coll in N.H. My father was visibly shaken by that event and the pilots son was about my age at the time. I was working in Mary Hitchcock hospital some time ago and there was this plaque about it. How strange that felt I cannot begin to tell you.

Glenn, Wally for some of course per Wallace. My father Robert S Wallace worked in the tower and passed just before his retirement. Hugh Murphy lived in North Reading and was a friend.I hope you get this. Brenda was my mothers name.

Dave, I knew your dad and your Mom. I was born and raised in Manchester. Worked for New England Aviation (later Stead Aviation) at MHT after I was discharged from the Navy. Helped him strip the T6 and flew with him a few times in the aircraft. He was a true mentor to me and many other intrepid aviators of our day. He was a very generous and giving person to many young aviators.

I joined the Navy in the early 1970’s. My first airplane ride was in a NE Airlines DC-9 Yellowbird, from Bangor ME to Boston. I have flown in many different airlines and airplanes since then but the Yellowbird DC-9 has to be the plane I felt the safest in. I do not know if it was the pilots or the airplane but I was always happy when I found out I would be in a DC-9.

I have often wondered about a guy in Portland, Maine by the name of Milton Smith. He was a pilot, and I associate him with Northeast Airlines, but I’m just not sure as I only knew him when I was maybe 10 years old (1959 or 1960). I was in awe of him because he often flew and landed a seaplane around Great Diamond Island (Portland). He had a cottage on the island, as did my dad. I may have dreamed up his association with NE Airlines. Does anyone remember him, and can you add a little history?

Is there a reunion of N.E. airlines people? There used to be in Hampton N.H.? I would love to see some of those people again. This is my only connection to my father Robert S Wallace.drssvc@worldpath.net contact me please.

It is great reading all these memories……I was a flight attendant based in MIA from 1967-71. Sure would like to hear from some Miami people. At the time I was with NE, Clark Willard was our chief pilot…..some of my favorites (that I can remember!) were George Hamilton, Charlie Liebman (sp?), and Ted Marsh. I was part of the crew that flew for the first time commercially the stretch 727 from MIA to JFK….and Clark Willard was in the left seat…..first and only time I saw him fly! We beat National by an hour or so! I also worked the NY Jets charter back to JFK after they beat Baltimore in Super Bowl III. So many great times and many memories!!

Thanks for the comment Ray. I didn’t know about Statewide Airlines, although at 7 years old that might have been a stretch. A little research turned up that their successor company was Trans-East Airlines.

Pat Whitehouse flew for Statewide Airlines in the 60s. Dave Carson and John Connelly as well. Opps nearly forgot Dave Hazen and Mike Farry. Early on, Larry Cosgrove was crew, he passed away in 2000 retired from TWA. Our Chief pilot was Simon “Bill” Bardsley who died back in 2001 in Florida.

I heard the song “Yellowbird” the other day and got to thinking about the old ad campaign.
I remember flying down to Florida from Boston in the late 60’s – 70’s. Unfortunately I was too young to enjoy in full Mad Men style. I did get a set of wings from the Pilot though.
I seem to remember a Yellowbird in Hyannis and it was an event to see.

The linked brochure is full of *sigh* compared to recent flying. Seat and a half? How about half a seat!

I grew up in Manchester, NH in the 60’s/70’s and was/still am a passionate fan of Northeast. I ended up working for Delta and have been there now for 37 years. I am System Operations Manager for the Boeing 737 fleets working in our OCC in ATL. But more importantly, I’m active in historical circles around Delta. So, I may be able to help you with your questions about Newport. Are your looking for simple questions like what types of aircraft flew there? Or do you want specific timetable information with scheduled times and frequency? I should have access to some helpful info for you. Please let me know how I can best help.

Hi Dave,
Gary Orlando is a great friend of mine and forwarded your link to me today, 04.04.15. I am trying very hard, without any luck, to find out aircraft that serviced Newport, Vermont, from at least 1955 through 1969 as shows on the above schedule. Any help that you might be able to provide would be so greatly appreciated.

What caught my eye was the two FH-227Cs parked at MPV. I am in the process of rebuilding my FH-227 website and I was wondering if there was any way I could get a larger size scan for use on my website or could you possibly pass my name along to the photographer. It appears that the aircraft closest seems to be N376NE.
Many thanks!!! I love this website. When I get my 227 site back up and running, I will add a link to your site from mine.

Great website. Just remembering the good old days. Looking at your pictures and hanger flying some of those airplanes. Also reminiscing about some of the old days and gang with my son Pete who is a maddog pilot at Delta.
Thanks again.
PK
(NEA/DAL 1957-1991)

Dave,
I’ve always loved the “Yellow Birds.” I can remember taking my first trip to Disney World back in late 1971 and the Yellow Bird was an exciting and fun-filled plane. We flew out of New York i believe (we are from New Jersey) and for an 11-year old there was nothing quite like it. Those were also the days where us kids got to go visit the pilot in the cock pit. I’m quite sure that doesn’t happen anymore. Great collective on a fascinating subject!

Trying to find a photograph of a landing Northeast aircraft….On landing ..when the lift dumpers were raised…the inside face had something like ‘Thank you for flying Northeast’….or something similar…Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Many Thanks
John

I love this site. My Dad was captain Red Peck, hired in 1946 and retired in 1980. I always wanted to fly for NEA but got as close as Air New England flying the old NEA FH-227’s. Will be making a link to my “friends” page at my site. Thanks again.

Your shot of the 2 DC-9’s is of great interest. The aircraft with the Expo 67 sticker is actually the very rarely seen DC-9-14, N8953U. This is the only short nine flown by Northeast. It served the BOS-LGA market almost exclusively in 1967. Interestingly, the ship actually later was operated by Delta, but not as a result of the merger.

Great post. My dad Louis Werner worked for Northeast in Boston. We lived in Wilmington just 18 miles north of Boston. He hired on in 1943 and from Boston to Miami and finally retired from Delta in Atlanta in 1983.My mom Jean Werner also worked for Northeast. She joined them in 1967 and retired with Louie in 1983.They have both since passed. Jeanie in 2010 and Louie in 2011. Does anyone know if the Yellowbird Club still exists? Northeast was a true family airline. Stay in touch. Glenn

Greetings Dave > great post & pics of NEA > my Dad worked for NE from 1957 until his retirement fm Delta in 1997 > he started out as an A&P and retired as the GM of the Delta Jet Base in Atlanta > have very fond memories of NEA and all the great times at the maint. hangars @ Logan and MIA > flew in the jump seat of both the 880 & 990 > still remember the power as those great ships rocketed to cruising altitude > I still think the Yellowbird Scheme was the best looking livery ever > the old man passed in 2007 and I cruise the Internet in my virtual 990 often to remember him by > thanx for adding to those great memories during the Golden Age of commercial aviation > Jim Jr.

Great posting; always a pleasure reading and seeing photos
of Northeast Airlines. My Dad, Howard (Buzz) E. Flett was there
from 1948-1979, although he was on sick leave for most of the last
1 1/2 of his career. I have a few scant early photos (a few from
early 60’s in front of a DC-3 he flew into MHT near our house) of
my dad, but that is all. I’ve also heard a few stories form some
ole’ F.O’s that know & flew with him. It’s always
interesting hearing about your Mom or Dad from people that knew
them back when. :)) I’d like to add a link of this page to my blog,
if that’s alright with you? See:http://thesafetypilot.blogspot.com/ Thanks for the
memories.

Dear Kathy, My dad knew your dad at NE, and I have a
picture of them in a NE Flight Operations room somewhere back in
the 60’s I believe. Glad to hear your Dad is still with us, my Dad,
Buzz Flett passed on DEC 1997. Let me know if your interested in a
copy of the picture that I have? All the best, Duncan Flettduncanflett@sbcglobal.net

I remember before yellow bird stopped service they had FREE
rides for parents and kids! It was my first time flying and I loved
it :) We waited for like three hours and just went up,flew around a
bit and then landed,,,better than a Disney ride!!!!

My father was Robert s Wallace he worked in the logan AP tower untill he passed away suddenly in 1968.

I have a picture and article about him from the boston globe just before he died.
I also have a picture of him in Portland acting as the ramp agent with a DC 3 in NE markings earlier in his career 1950s
I have good memories of some NE airlines people who used to come to our house to visit in north Reading mass outside of boston. I know their names but will not invade their privacy here. Nice people.

Great site! Flashes me back to the days of the Yellowbird. Your photos are super. I’ve got more pics of NE Yellowbirds at Logan; unfortunately, they are all ELQ (extremely low quality >> faded, bent, distant, etc.) and I have no way to scan them or improve the quality. That CV-990 shot is a fave of mine; thus far, I’ve never seen another pic of it anywhere. I also have a silent 8mm movie clip taken out the window of a Mohawk FH-227 departing KBOS; it shows a couple of Yellowbirds but the views of the Yellowbirds are so very brief that it just isn’t worth sending to you. Again, great website. Thanks for the memory jogs.

Thanks Doug. 1941-80 is an amazing stretch. If you have a few photos related to his career I’d be glad to share them here. My dad was based in Boston as a 727 FO until 1977. No doubt they flew a few trips together.